


waiting to fall

by theafterimages



Category: GOT7
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 12:10:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5539472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theafterimages/pseuds/theafterimages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Youngjae and Jaebum meet on the bus—when a dozing Youngjae turns Jaebum’s shoulder into his pillow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	waiting to fall

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of this year's holiday ficlet requests fills.
> 
> Thank you to R & S for betaing! And thank you so much to all of you who have been reading my works this year. I hope you've enjoyed them, and that you will enjoy these. ♥ Happy Holidays!!

  
Another Monday, Jaebum thinks with a groan as he follows the usual group of students, commuters, and tourists onto the city bus, the way he does four mornings a week. The normal start to what he expects to be yet another normal day.

Little does he know how quickly he’ll be proven wrong.

The first half-empty seat Jaebum reaches is occupied by a boy he vaguely recognizes from college, though it’s much too early in the day for Jaebum to place a name to the face. He’s asleep against the window, so Jaebum takes the open seat next to him without asking. If his seatmate’s saving it for someone then that person will say something when they get on, Jaebum figures. For now he just puts in his earbuds and selects an Amy Winehouse album, closing his eyes. A quick nap before school sounds good to him.

And then his seatmate flops over against him, resting his head on Jaebum’s shoulder.

Jaebum’s eyes immediately pop back open. He pulls out an earbud and almost jerks away, intending to wake the guy up. But then his seatmate makes this sleepy, softly distressed noise at the sudden motion, and Jaebum notices how dark the circles under his eyes are, and his irritation softens. They’re only a few stops away from school, and Jaebum’s probably lucky _he’s_ never fallen asleep on someone before, given how many all-nighters he pulls every semester. He can cut the guy a break.

When the bus comes to a stop, Jaebum gently shakes him awake. “Hey,” he says, not unkindly, “we’re here.”

“Huh?” The guy’s eyes open slowly, his whole face screwed up in confusion—and then he realizes the position he’s in and jerks away. “Oh my god, I’m—I didn’t drool on you or anything, did I?” He starts to rub Jaebum’s cardigan sleeve, like that would do anything about the hypothetical drool, then catches himself and snatches his hand back, his already wide eyes filling with even more panic as they dart back up to meet Jaebum’s.

Jaebum can’t help laughing. “No drool. It’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry-“

“Really, it’s okay,” Jaebum assures him. “Come on, we’d better get off.”

The guy apologizes a few more times once they’re off the bus, his loud, flustered voice carrying further than he’d probably meant it to. It’s cute, Jaebum can’t help but think. They part ways after Jaebum reassures him yet again, both rushing off to class. 

It’s not until later Jaebum realizes he never found out what his name is.

 

 

 

 

It’s Youngjae.

Jaebum remembers the name himself later that morning, when he sees another of his friends who is also named Youngjae. And Jaebum remembers why he recognized him, too: Youngjae—Choi, if he remembers right—is a freshman music major, and his voice has caused a stir amongst other students and professors. Jaebum has heard several times during the month since the semester started that Youngjae has a lot of potential.

Somehow Jaebum isn’t surprised when he walks into the campus coffee shop that afternoon and immediately sees Youngjae at the counter by the window, several textbooks spread out in front of him. As Jaebum watches him, Youngjae stretches, then knuckles at his eyes before reaching for his cup, making a disgruntled face as he checks its contents.

Jaebum laughs and walks over to him before he can second-guess the impulse. “Want me to buy you another one?”

“Oh! Jaebum!” Youngjae jumps up, his ears turning red as Jaebum smiles. He’d wondered if Youngjae had recognized him, too. Their performing arts school is pretty small; after a while, everyone tends to know each other. “You don’t need to, it’s okay-“

“I’m going to go buy a drink, anyway,” Jaebum says with a shrug and a quick smile. “It’s no big deal.”

“Oh. Uh. Thank you!” 

Jaebum waits a moment, then prompts him, “So what are you drinking?”

“Oh, right!” Youngjae laughs nervously, looking down at his cup. “Cuban coffee.”

No wonder he’s so jittery, Jaebum thinks, and makes a note to buy him something to eat, too. “You really want to make sure you don’t fall asleep on me again, huh?” he teases. “Was it that terrible?”

“No, your shoulders are really nice,” Youngjae says quickly, then cuts off, his eyes widening. “Uh, I mean-“

Jaebum decides to take pity on him. “I’d better get in line,” he says.

“Okay,” Youngjae says, repeatedly nodding, though Jaebum’s only taken a few steps away when he calls after him, “Thanks, again!”

Jaebum turns back to him and smiles. Seeing Youngjae so off-balance is cute, but he’s already sure it’ll be even cuter when Youngjae is comfortable around him. “You can owe me one next time,” he says, then keeps walking.

Youngjae calls after him, sounding more flustered than ever, “ _Next time_?”  



End file.
